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The '24th Infantry Division' (Mechanized)—also known as the 'Victory Division'—was an infantry division of the United States Army with base of operations at Fort Riley, Kansas originally organized out of the old 'Hawaiian Division'.

Contents

History

Lineage

Narrative

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War years

Role in the Middle East

A Division in Name Only

Honors

Campaign Participation Credit

Decorations

See also

External links

History

Lineage

★ Constituted 1 February 1921 in the Regular Army as Headquarters, Hawaiian Division

★ Activated 1 March 1921 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

★ Reorganized and redesignated 1 October 1941 as Headquarters, 24th Infantry Division

★ Reorganized and redesignated 1 April 1960 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 24th Infantry Division

★ Inactivated 15 April 1970 at Fort Riley, Kansas

★ Activated 21 September 1975 at Fort Stewart, Georgia

★ Inactivated 15 February 1996 at Fort Stewart, Georgia

★ Activated 17 October 1999 at Fort Riley, Kansas

★ Inactivated 1 August 2006 at Fort Riley, Kansas

Narrative

The 24th Infantry Division has its origins in Hawaii. It was first activated under the peacetime Square Division Table of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) on 25 February 1921 as the Hawaiian Division. It, the Philippine Division, and the Americal Division were the last three US Army divisions to be named rather than numbered. The division retained this TO&E until 1941, when it was reorganized under a Triangular Division TO&E, and part of its former organization became the core of the new 25th Infantry Division.

World War II

★ Subordinate Units:

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★ 19th Infantry Regiment

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★ 21st Infantry Regiment

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★ 299th Infantry Regiment

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★ 298th Infantry Regiment

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★ 34th Infantry Regiment

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★ 13th Field Artillery Battalion

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★ 52nd Field Artillery Battalion

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★ 63rd Field Artillery Battalion

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★ 11th Field Artillery Battalion (155mm)

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★ 24th Signal Company

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★ 724th Ordnance Company

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★ 24th Quartermaster Company

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★ 24th Reconnaissance Troop

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★ 3rd Engineer Battalion

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★ 24th Medical Battalion

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★ 24th Counter Intelligence Detachment
The 24th Infantry Division was among the first to see combat in World War II and among the last to stop fighting. The Division was on Oahu, with Headquarters at Schofield Barracks, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941, and suffered minor casualties. Charged with the defense of northern Oahu, it built an elaborate system of coastal defenses. In May 1943 it was alerted for movement to Australia and by 19 September 1943 had completed the move to Camp Caves, near Rockhampton, on the eastern coast of Australia.
After a period of intensive training, the Division moved to Goodenough Island, 31 January 1944, to stage for Operation Reckless (landings at Hollandia, in Netherlands New Guinea). The 24th landed on 22 April 1944, and seized the important Hollandia Airdrome despite torrential rains and marshy terrain. Shortly after the Hollandia landing, the 34th Infantry Regiment moved to Biak, 18 June, to reinforce the 41st Infantry Division, and captured Sorido and Borokoe airdromes before returning to the Division on Hollandia in July.
After occupation duty in the Hollandia area, the 24th Division landed on Red Beach on Leyte, 20 October 1944, as part of the X Corps, Sixth Army, and driving up Leyte Valley advanced to Jaro and took Breakneck Ridge, 12 November 1944, in heavy fighting.
While mopping up continued on Leyte, the 19th RCT moved to Mindoro Island as part of the Western Visayan Task Force, landing in the San Jose area, 15 December 1944. Airfields and a PT base were secured for operations on Luzon. Divisional elements effected a landing on Marinduque Island. Other elements supported the 11th Airborne Division drive from Nasugbu to Manila.
The 34th RCT, landing at San Antonio, Luzon, 29 January 1945, ran into a furious battle on Zig Zag Pass and suffered heavy casualties. On 16 February 1945 the 3d Bn of the 34th Infantry took part in the amphibious landing on Corregidor and fought Japanese under a hot sun on the well-defended Rock. After numerous mopping up actions in March, the Division landed on Mindanao, 17 April 1945, cut across the island to Digos, 27 April, stormed into Davao, 3 May, and cleared Libby airdrome, 13 May. Although the campaign closed officially on 30 June, the Division continued to mop up Japanese resistance during July and August 1945. Patrolling continued after the official surrender of Japan. On 15 October 1945, the Division left Mindanao for Japan.

Korean War

When the North Koreans attacked South Korea in June 1950, elements of the 24th Infantry Division, primarily from the 21st Infantry Regiment, were the first army troops to arrive in Korea and the first to fight under the United Nations' banner.
Task Force Smith went into battle on July 4, 1950, ordered to fight a delaying action against overwhelming odds. Comprised of roughly 400 men, the unit was misinformed about its objective and under-trained for this sudden action. The men were poorly equipped with castoffs from WWII, including C-rations, and their weapons were, in many cases, non-functioning or without proper ammunition. Of particular importance was their lack of heavy weaponry with which to stop the Soviet-built tanks streaming across the border in the hands of well-trained North Korean soldiers. The results were tragic.
However, the delaying action permitted the United Nations to build up its forces near Pusan, and the division was later awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its actions.
Fighting with the 24th Division in the early months were the 19th, 21st, and 34th Infantry Regiments. The 29th Regimental Combat Team was also attached to the 24th in the early months.
By late August 1950, only 184 of the 34th Regiment's original 1,898 men remained standing. The regiment was dissolved and was replaced by the 5th Infantry Regiment/5th Regimental Combat Team (5th RCT). 34th Regiment survivors were added to the ranks of the 19th and 21st regiments in an effort to bring them up to strength.
Over the next nineteen months the division fought in seven campaigns and was twice decorated by the Republic of Korea. Among its most deadly battles was the "big fall push" of 1951. The 24th Division, along with the 2nd and 6th ROK (Republic of Korea) Divisions, fought the last major Allied offensive of the Korean War -- Operation Nomad-Polar --launched 13 October 51. It ended 22 October when the city of Kumsong, which was a major supply hub for the Chinese Communists, was destroyed.
American casualties were extremely high, averaging 175 per day. By battle's end, the Allied divisions had driven the Chinese 10 miles northward from their heavily fortified winter quarters, capturing a deep subterranean command post on Hill 770 in the process.
In late January 1952 the "Victory Division" returned to Japan where it served as part of the Far East reserve. In July 1953 the division went back to Korea to restore order in prisoner of war camps. The following year the division replaced the 45th (Oklahoma NG) Division. In early 1955 the division returned to Japan, where it served until February 1956. At that time the 24th deployed to Korea for another tour of duty.
Major General William F Dean, the 24th's commanding general, was reported missing in action on July 21, 1950. Unbeknownst to American officials, he was captured and spent the duration of the war in a prison camp. On February 16, 1951, General Dean was awarded a Medal of Honor for actions in Taejon on July 20 and 21, 1950. He was returned to US Military control on April 19, 1953.
Corporal Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. of the 19th Infantry Regiment also received the Medal of Honor -- for actions on November 5, 1950. Other 19th Regiment Medal of Honor recipients included MSG Stanley T. Adams (February 4, 1951) and SFC Nelson V. Brittin (March 7, 1951).
The 21st Infantry Regiment had two MOH recipients, SFC Ray E. Duke (April 26, 1951) and PFC Mack A. Jordan (November 15, 1951).
The 5th Infantry Regiment (aka 5th Regimental Combat Team or 5th RCT) was attached to the 24th Division at some point in August 1950 and served with the 24th until the division was rotated to Japan in January 1952. The 5th had two Medal of Honor recipients while with the 24th: MSG Melvin O. Handrich (August 25 and 26, 1950) and 2LT Carl H. Dodd (January 30 and 31, 1951). The 3d Engineer Combat Battalion, another 24th Division unit, also had a Medal of Honor recipient, SGT George D. Libby (July 20, 1950).

Vietnam War years

When the United States reduced and realigned its divisions in the Far East in 1957, the 24th left Korea, eventually replacing the 11th Airborne Division in Germany. While in Germany, in addition to its standard infantry mission, the 24th fielded airborne units for about two years. The division remained in Germany until September 1968 when it redeployed two brigades to Fort Riley, Kansas, as part of Exercise REFORGER (Return of Forces to Germany). One brigade was maintained in Germany. As the Army withdrew from Vietnam and reduced its forces, the "Victory Division" was inactivated in April 1970 at Fort Riley.

Role in the Middle East

In September 1975 the 24th Infantry Division was reactivated at Fort Stewart, Georgia, as part of the program to build a sixteen-division force. Because the Regular Army could not field a full division at Fort Stewart, the 24th had the 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, assigned to it as a round-out unit. Targeted for a NATO role, the division was reorganized as a mechanized division in 1979. When the United Nations decided to halt aggression in Kuwait in 1990, the 24th, which was part of the Rapid Deployment Force was one of the first units deployed to Southwest Asia. Some controversy erupted when the Division's round-out unit, the 48th Infantry Brigade, was found to be unprepared for deployment. The brigade was replaced once the Division was in Saudi Arabia with the regular Army 197th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized). Serving in the Defense of Saudi Arabia and Liberation and Defense of Kuwait campaigns, the division under then Major General Barry McCaffrey helped to arrest the Iraqi war machine. Returning to the United States in the spring of 1991, the 24th was reorganized with all its elements in the Regular Army, two brigades at Fort Stewart and one brigade at Fort Benning, Georgia. In the fall of 1994 Iraq again menaced the Kuwaiti border, and two brigades from the division returned to Southwest Asia. As part of the Army's reduction to a ten-division force, the 24th Infantry Division was inactivated on 15 February 1996, and reflagged to become the 3rd Infantry Division.

A Division in Name Only

On 5 June 1999, the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) was once again activated, this time at Fort Riley, Kansas, but with no subordinate units. From 1999 to 2006 the "Victory Division" consisted of an active component headquarters and three National Guard enhanced separate brigades: 30th Heavy Separate Brigade at Clinton, North Carolina, 218th Heavy Separate Brigade at Columbia, South Carolina, and the 48th Separate Infantry Brigade in Macon, Georgia. The division headquarters was to be responsible for the Guard brigades should they be called to active duty in war time. However, this never occurred, with each of the brigades deployed to Iraq individually. The Division's most recent operations included preparing Fort Riley for the return of the 1st Infantry Division, previously stationed in Germany.
The 24th Infantry Division (Mech) inactivated on August 1, 2006 at Fort Riley. This, of course, was really only the active component headquarters and did not affect the National Guard brigades that were to be assigned to it in war time.

Honors

Campaign Participation Credit

★ World War II:
# Central Pacific;
# New Guinea (with arrowhead);
# Leyte (with arrowhead);
# Luzon;
# Southern Philippines (with arrowhead)

★ Korean War:
# UN Defensive;
# UN Offensive;
# CCF Intervention;
# First UN Counteroffensive;
# CCF Spring Offensive;
# UN Summer-Fall Offensive;
# Second Korean Winter;
# Korea, Summer 1953

★ Southwest Asia:
# Defense of Saudi Arabia;
# Liberation and Defense of Kuwait

Decorations

#Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for DEFENSE OF KOREA
#Army Superior Unit Award for 1994
#Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for 17 OCTOBER 1944 TO 4 JULY 1945
#Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for PYONGTAEK
#Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for KOREA 1952-1953

See also

★ Formations of the United States Army

External links

★ 24th Infantry Division Home Page - official site.

★ 24th Infantry Division Association

★ The 24th Infantry Division in Europe

★ GlobalSecurity.org: 24th Infantry Division